


Binary Star

by kowaiyoukai



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alien Biology, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space Opera, Body Horror, CyberLife (Detroit: Become Human) is Terrible, Double Agents, Evil CyberLife (Detroit: Become Human), F/F, F/M, M/M, Other, Revolutions Rebellions and the Resistance, Undercover Missions, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2021-01-31 02:47:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21438934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kowaiyoukai/pseuds/kowaiyoukai
Summary: Cyberlife is a multi-galactic organization that runs out of Cyberlife Central, a manmade robotic planet. They supply other planets with everything they need--for a price. Poor planets end up stripped of their resources, begging for scraps. Rich planets have Cyberlife logos stamped everywhere, a trade-off the inhabitants are more than happy to make for their luxurious lifestyles.Coming from a planet rich in wealth and technology, Con'r is one of Cyberlife's most highly-prized operatives. His mission: infiltrate Jericho, the terrorist organization threatening Cyberlife's rule of law.What Con'r doesn't expect is to fall for one of their members along the way. Hank is a man who has joined Jericho for unknown reasons, a man who Con'r feels drawn to despite his orders. Con'r balances duty and instinct, what he knows versus what he feels, all the while knowing he can never risk Hank finding out the truth--about him, his mission, and what Con'r is willing to do to protect his secrets.
Relationships: Hank Anderson/Connor, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 8
Collections: HankCon Reverse Big Bang 2019





	Binary Star

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by the beautiful art entitled "Run!" by Hobovampire.
> 
> This is a WIP. It will have a total of 11 chapters. It will likely take me over a year to write. I realize I could have done way less for the RBB, but when a good idea strikes, you have to listen.

_**Pre-Mission Report:**_

_**Objective:** Join Jericho_  
_**Assessment:** Find a recruiter; gain members’ trust; become an asset_  
_**Galactic Location:** Fifth Moon on the Dark Side of Leaglus, Diponti System_  
_**Planetside Location:** Second Major Continent, Largest Population Density, Bottom of the Slisid Canyon, Tanytucker Bar_  
_**Ship Location:** 1.2 kt from Tanytucker Bar_  
_**Local Time:** Fourteenth Planet Rotation (in relation to fifth moon), Nearest Sunlight measurement 86% to full darkness_  
_**Cyberlife Galactic Time:** 187th Year, Third Month, Fourth Day, 17% to full sunlight_

_My mission to infiltrate the rebel organization collectively known as ‘Jericho’ has led me to one of the poorest planets in the galaxy. Cyberlife has a presence in this sector, but it is nowhere near as strong as the previous locations I have visited. There are several ongoing mining operations in the Slisid Canyon. I have heard rumors that the indigenous population of Leaglus and its moons harbor negative opinions on both the Cyberlife operations and the Cyberlife employees. There are some concerns as per usual, yet I have experienced no pushback in regards to my disguise. I am confident that I can approach the ‘Jericho’ contact and convince them to allow me access. I will file additional mission reports as needed._

_**Report Completed By:** Con’r Ar’kay, C.A. 800 division_

~*~

The loud bass pounded in his ears, but he had prepared for this. Con’r knew exactly the kind of establishment this was—dirty, dark, and just this side of legal. He’d heard significant rumors that Jericho had a small base here. Enough citizens hated Cyberlife on this planet that he decided to check it out. It didn’t make sense to investigate every complaint they received about the rebel organization, and Con’r knew some people called in false leads to make his job that much harder. Still, he’s been at this long enough to know what looked promising. And a lead about a Cyberlife mining operation that had caused a massive cave-in, resulting in more than eighty deaths of nearby residents?

Yeah. Con’r would say that was a promising start.

People in the bar were mingling together. Some with energy to burn, dancing or making an attempt at it, while others let their bodies hang over and around tables, exhausted with the day or their lives or the uncomfortable thick quality of the music, pervasive and unavoidable. Con’r knew most of them were useless to him. The tip had said to talk to the bartender, so he immediately headed over to investigate.

The man behind the bar was a Barog. That surprised Con’r. He wasn’t used to seeing Barogs outside of their more traditional forest surroundings. He knew the species was strong generally speaking, good for manual labor, but were also excellent climbers. He’d heard they were incredibly fast in their natural environment, but that was hearsay at best. The species had a bad reputation for being ignorant and slow. Cyberlife had used that reputation to mine their home world for nearly all of the resources it possessed. It made logical sense that a Barog would join up with Jericho based on that information alone.

Con’r walked up to the bar without preamble. He knew he stood out among the other patrons. Off-worlders always stood out, at least a little, but Con’r was one of the rare species that Cyberlife valued—a Viniluth. Sometimes it was to his advantage, but not today.

That was all right. He wasn’t in the highest rank of undercover operatives for no reason. He could convince this bartender that he was fed up with Cyberlife. Almost everyone was in this place.

Con’r slid into a chair at the end of the bar with the gracefulness that came naturally to him. He folded his lower two arms onto the edge of the bar, leaning his head on the palm of his upper left hand as he waited. The bartender had clearly seen him and was taking his time getting over to Con’r. That was perfectly fine. Con’r could wait.

The bartender eventually made his way to stand in front of Con’r. The Barog was slightly older, in his 120’s, with graying hair that hung carelessly around his face. One of his two tails was holding a glass while the other poured a drink into it. His tail placed the drink down in front of Con’r with a sharp clack while the other quickly brushed away some invisible dust, keeping the drinks area in perfect condition.

“Here,” the bartender said, voice gruff but somehow still friendly. “On the house.”

Con’r picked up the glass and took a sip. The liquid was unfamiliar but had a burn that let him know it was indeed alcoholic. “Why?”

“You look like you need it.” He smiled, easily making Con’r feel relaxed. This guy was good. “Name’s Hank. And you are?”

“Con’r.” He held up his glass, sparing a thought for the forged identity he had so quickly cast aside. His brothers had both told him over and over again that he should remain detached from his mission, yet Con’r didn’t see how he was going to infiltrate the most dangerous rebel organization Cyberlife had ever faced if he didn’t give some of himself up in the process. Jericho traded in the hard truths of the universe for fantasies based on foolishness. Their members believed in the childish dream that somehow, someway, they could escape the far-reaching grasp of the most powerful company to ever exist. Con’r was going to have to play the long con if this had even the slightest chance of working. So, his real name it was.

“Con’r,” Hank repeated, his voice able to roll past the pause in Con’r’s name like it was nothing. “Don’t get many Viniluths out here. Haven’t seen one in…” Hank trailed off, one of his tails coming to scratch thoughtfully at his chin. “Shit, ten cycles? Eleven?”

“Well, we’re not tied to Vinil, you know.” Con’r laughed, sounding just fake and uncomfortable enough to get his message across to Hank.

Holding both his hands and his tails out to the side in the galactic message of ‘didn’t mean to offend’, Hank shrugged. “Sorry, Con’r. You know how it is.” He pressed his hands to the bar in front of Con’r as his tails began mixing another drink. “Small town on a moon orbiting a small planet, far from Cyberlife Central.”

Con’r swirled the thick liquid slowly around in his glass, presenting a façade of contemplation. “Not such a bad thing, is it?”

Hank raised an eyebrow, the furred tip of one ear flicking reflexively. “What, small town life?” He sounded amused.

“No,” Con’r replied, taking a quick swig and placing the glass down with a satisfying clink. “Being away from Cyberlife.”

Taking the comment in stride, Hank smirked at Con’r. “Not a fan?”

Con’r shrugged. “Does it matter? They’re everywhere.” He leaned back in the chair, his shoulders sagging as he crossed all four of his arms.

Hank grabbed two glasses with his tails and began polishing them with his hands, his smile turning just a shade softer. “Doesn’t mean you have to be a fan,” he commented, off-handedly. “Lots of people around here aren’t.”

“Yeah,” Con’r muttered, letting his displeasure at the situation show. “The cave-in.”

Carefully putting away the glasses, Hank’s face fell. “Yeah,” he echoed. “Good people died there.”

The incident had only happened a few nights ago. It was easy to tell, even through the loud music and dim lighting, how tragedy had left an air of grief. Most people sat alone or in small groups, silent or silently communicating—an exchange of glances versus faces tilted towards the floor, all saying the same thing no matter the spoken language. ‘I’ve suffered a loss. We all have.’

Con’r had never really dealt with grief on this scale before. But that didn’t matter. He was good at his job. That included the ability to blend in with the locals, no matter the planet. If he couldn’t even do that much, he should just give up and go back to Cyberlife Central now.

“I know.” Con’r let his four shoulders sag down. Sometimes telling the truth really was the best way in. “I… don’t know what to say.” He paused, slowly sliding the glass between his hands—1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4—in a steady rhythm that helped him to focus. “It’s a tragedy. What _can_ you say?”

He looked up, wanting to see Hank’s reaction, but the bartender had looked quickly away. Or perhaps he had already been looking away? Con’r glanced over in an attempt to see what had captured Hank’s attention, but all he saw were more sad patrons. Nothing stood out, and when Con’r checked back, Hank was helping another customer.

That woman didn’t even have to order. She walked up, her large cloak hiding most of her body from view, and Hank slid a drink over to her. Had he seen her approaching? Was she a regular? Con’r wasn’t sure how many people in the bar could be affiliated with Jericho. Was it even considered an underground organization this far away from Central? Maybe not.

The woman murmured something under her breath to Hank. His tails flicked in a restless, irritated manner. He muttered back to her, and Con’r wished he had chosen to check out the place while invisible. He could have listened in for a while. The missed opportunity would come back to haunt him, he was sure of it. Lack of information could get an agent killed. Cyberlife had ordered him to talk to the bartender, but that didn’t mean he had to do only that. Ah, well. It was a small mistake in the grand scheme of things.

Hank left the woman to her drink, but she slid off her chair and wandered away. Con’r was able to track her going to sit in a crowded corner, but then Hank walked back over to him.

“Sorry about that,” Hank said, unexpectedly sincere.

“What, about doing your job?” Con’r asked, one corner of his mouth lifting upwards.

“About interrupting our conversation,” Hank corrected with a small, embarrassed chuckle. Con’r waved a hand, dismissing Hank’s apology, but Hank lifted a tail forward with enough force to stop Con’r’s hand in place. “No, I mean it,” Hank continued. “We were having an important discussion. I don’t like cutting those off.”

Con’r smiled, charmed despite himself by Hank’s forthrightness. “Well, since I wasn’t leaving, anyway, we’ll call it even.”

“Planning on getting blackout drunk, are we?” Hank let out one slightly sarcastic chuckle. “You wouldn’t be the first.”

“No,” Con’r quickly replied. It came out so fast that he felt as though he had to follow it up with something immediately in order to not appear suspicious. “Just wouldn’t want to leave a handsome man alone at a bar.” He said it offhandedly, more as a joke than anything, but suddenly in an uncomfortable, gut-clenching way he knew it to be true.

Hank’s eyebrows rose. “You interested in somebody?” He smiled crookedly, leaning in, one conspirator to another. “I could make an introduction, if you want. I know most everyone here.”

Con’r let the heat he’d felt this entire time come through his eyes. Hank was an attractive man, but not conventionally so. It was exactly the type of situation that worked in Con’r’s favor. He had a feeling Hank wasn’t used to being hit on, and, well, Con’r found he didn’t mind flirting to get his way.

To be entirely truthful to himself, which was important in being an effective spy, Con’r knew he’d never actually attempted flirting as a way in before. Still, inexperience wasn’t going to stop him. There was a connection between himself and Hank. Con’r wasn’t sure what it was or where it had come from, but then again he suspected attraction was a mystery that had never really been solved—no matter how much of the universe was discovered, mapped, and sorted.

“Oh, I think I’m doing all right on my own,” Con’r replied, smile spreading slow and suggestive.

Hank’s face turned slightly burnished. He opened his mouth, possibly to say something, but then his tails twitched awkwardly and he quickly turned around, ostensibly to sort some liquor bottles but Con’r had seen the embarrassment clear as day across Hank’s face.

This man wore his heart on his sleeve. Con’r could use that. Easily. And if he got to have a bit of fun while he was at it, what was the harm?

After a minute of Hank pretending to do something, the bartender turned back to Con’r and said with disappointment laced through his voice, “Con, I gotta tell ya… I’m unavailable. Sorry.” He was frowning when he said it, which was more confusing than a mixed signal would have been.

Con’r held up his hands in a quick and easy show of acceptance. “All right, I’m out of luck, I hear you.” He sighed and let his hands fall, drumming his fingers against the table. “In more ways than one, I suppose.”

Hank’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

Con’r shrugged. “Cyberlife is everywhere I fucking go, this drink isn’t getting me drunk, and you’re taken. That’s 0 for 3 for me today.” He slid off the chair as he grabbed some bills out of his pocket, leaving Hank a generous tip. “Thanks anyway, Hank. Hope your night goes well.”

He took one step away, counting on Hank calling him back, and a second later he was proven right.

“Wait,” the bartender said. Con’r turned back around, weariness etched onto his features. “Don’t go just yet. You…” Hank licked his lips nervously. “You say you don’t like Cyberlife much?”

Con’r shrugged. “Does it matter?”

“It might,” Hank quickly replied. “It just fucking might.” He waited only a moment before asking, “You ever heard of Jericho?”

“Yeah,” Con’r said. “I’ve heard of them.”

“There’s a meeting here. Sometimes.” Hank groaned. “There’s one tonight. It’s just for interested parties, people like you. Nothing major.”

Con’r blinked slowly. “Will you be there?”

Hank grumbled low in his chest, but Con’r didn’t know how to interpret that. “Yeah, Con. I’ll be there.”

“Guess that settles that.” Con’r slid back up onto his chair. “How about another drink?”

Hank moved away to mix something else up. Con’r kept his face carefully blank.

He was in. He was fucking _in_.

This was a great opportunity.

He couldn’t waste it.

~*~

_**Cyberlife Agent Report:** Con’r Ar’kay_

_**Species:** Viniluth_  
_**Species Description:** Humanoid; translucent skin; blue blood; four arms; two legs; pointed ears_  
_**Species Traits:** Invisibility_  
_**Birth Location:** Cyberlife Central_  
_**Birth Date (CGT):** 155th Year, Fourteenth Month, Twenty-Eighth Day_  
_**Physical Description:** Brown hair; brown eyes; tall; thin; muscular; early middle age_  
_**Relatives:** 900, 60_  
_**Training:** CLASSIFIED_  
_**Assigned Divison:** Cyberlife Agent 800, infiltration specialist_

_Con’r Ar’kay is one of the top agents Cyberlife currently has. He is intelligent, resourceful, and adaptable. Every field agent who has worked with him has commended his performance. His innate ability to become invisible has also given him an advantage in missions requiring stealth and subterfuge._

_One concern is that Con’r is not yet ready to handle missions involving heavy deception. 900 has expressed doubts about Con’r’s ability to lie convincingly. However, since Con’r has passed all of Cyberlife’s evaluations, we are confident that he will rise to whatever challenges are presented to him._

_On a personal note, I believe that, due to **REDACTED**, Con’r might not be suitable for **REDACTED**. He has shown **REDACTED**, and, consequently, **REDACTED**. Furthermore, **REDACTED**. **REDACTED**. Taking everything into consideration, **REDACTED**._

_**Report Completed By:** Chloee Rrtee, C.A. 600 division_

~*~

The meeting of interested parties took place in the Tanytucker Bar’s backroom. Con’r wanted to roll his eyes at the stereotype, but he refrained. He was on a mission, after all. And he’d keep telling himself that as long as he needed to. If he didn’t appear at least slightly interested in what these people had to say about Jericho, he was going to find himself out of his only reliable way in to the organization.

Although it was a backroom in a bar, it was quite spacious—lots of room in the center of the floor with some chairs already set up. Clearly this was not the first time they had invited people to come listen. Con’r arrived fairly early, though not due to any intention on his part. It was simply that he had been hanging around the bar for a while, and he found himself curious as to what exactly was going on behind closed doors.

There ended up being a handful of various people who hung around nervously, waiting for the meeting to actually start. Eight people, not including him, and all of them were of various species. Interestingly, none came from the moon’s home planet, Leaglus. Either no one from Leaglus was interested in joining Jericho or there was already a strong insurgent presence here. Con’r bet on the latter.

After about ten minutes of loitering, during which Con’r sat down and idly ran a Cyberlife credit through his fingers, the door opened again. Hank walked through, his eyes quickly finding Con’r’s.

“Hey,” Hank said as he walked over and took the seat next to Con’r. “You’re in luck, meeting’s about to start.”

Con’r nodded, pocketing his credit. “I’ve heard… interesting things about Jericho.”

Hank laughed. “Most of it’s true,” he said. “Ah, fuck, who am I kidding? It’s all damn true.”

“Should be quite the meeting, then,” Con’r replied, one corner of his mouth curling up in a smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever really talked to any of them before.”

“Oh, you have,” Hank stated confidently. “You just didn’t know it.”

Con’r raised an eyebrow. “Are you…?”

Hank grinned wide, showing off his fangs. “A few decades now.”

Con’r forced himself to look surprised. “A true believer, I take it?”

“Well, like you said. Don’t much like Cyberlife.” Hank shrugged with his tails. “Too much history there to just let it all go.”

“Really?” Con’r found himself genuinely interested. “What sort of history?”

Hank’s tails dropped. “The kind you don’t talk about to strangers you just met.” He smiled at Con’r. “No matter how cute they are.”

Unable to think of a decent reply to _that_, especially considering Hank had previously labeled himself as ‘unavailable’, Con’r found himself quite relieved when the door opened again, this time revealing the now de-cloaked woman from the bar. Earlier, Con’r had mentally tagged her as a regular, but now it appeared she was much more involved than he had originally suspected. She was an Elgatea—unusual for this part of the galaxy, but what stood out the most about her wasn’t her species. It was her wings. Or, rather, lack thereof. The Elgatea were known for their impressive wings, which tended to have a span of at least their personal height, if not more. This woman had her right wing closed up tightly behind her, perhaps to minimize the bandage-wrapped stump that stood starkly out of her left shoulder where her other wing should have been.

It didn’t work. Nearly everyone in the room stared, making it very apparent as to why she was wearing a cloak earlier. Con’r glanced at Hank, who was eyeing him critically. Feeling awkward, Con’r simply shrugged and folded both sets of arms. It wasn’t his fault she was making a scene when she entered.

“Okay, everyone, let’s get started,” she said, pulling a chair over to the front of the room and then decidedly not sitting in it. “I’m North. You’re here because you don’t like Cyberlife. Or you’re just curious about Jericho. I don’t give a fuck, actually. But you’d better keep your mouths shut about this little get-together ‘cause if Cyberlife knew, they’d kill you.” Nervous laughter sprung up around the room. Con’r was instantly confused—did these people not understand that hadn’t been a joke? “Oh, what, that made you uncomfortable? Then leave. Now. Because we’re about to really get into the shit, and if you can’t handle that, it’s for the best if you just go.”

North waited a moment before she stomped one of her feet onto the chair. “Great. I’m going to go over a few basics here. If you’re interested, I’ll talk to you after the meeting. If I think you’re not a complete waste, I might decide to okay you for the next step.”

A woman a bit farther back asked, “What’s the next step?”

North stared at her. “Joining Jericho.” She blinked slowly. “That’s why you’re all here, isn’t it?”

When several people seemed surprised or got uncomfortable, Con’r’s brow furrowed. Were these people just interested in collecting gossip? This was serious. Their lives really were on the line here. Why would they even be here if they didn’t have good reason?

“You seem upset.”

Hank’s quiet voice startled Con’r out of his thoughts. The Barog bartender was looking at him with concern radiating from his eyes. Con’r found himself softening to the man’s genuine care. Not many people had ever treated him that way.

“I am,” Con’r admitted, also keeping his voice low as North began her explanation of everything Con’r had been learning about Jericho since his mission began.

“Why?” Hank was honestly confused. “Nothing’s even happened yet.”

Con’r gave a slight shake of his head. “These people,” he said, low but with a passion he hadn’t yet shown to Hank. “They have no idea how dangerous just being here is.” Con’r looked at Hank, who was studying him carefully. “Cyberlife is dangerous, everyone knows that. Look at the damage one of their operations just did, right here. And what, some of them are here just for fun?”

Hank’s tail scratched the back of his neck, gently messing with the end of his ponytail. “You don’t know that. Not really.” He gave Con’r a tired smile. “They could be here for any number of reasons.”

Con’r frowned. “I don’t like it.”

“I can see that, Con,” Hank replied, still serious. “But you can never really know what’s going on with somebody else, right?”

“Con?” The nickname had completely derailed Con’r’s train of thought.

“What, you don’t like nicknames?” Hank asked, a smirk slowly growing on his face.

“Not really,” Con’r replied.

Hank laughed, apparently unable to stop himself.

“Hank!” North shouted, voice sharp as she glared at him. Everyone else turned to stare. “Is this amusing to you? You find genocide so fucking funny?”

Hank held up both his hands and his tails in a gesture of complete surrender. “Sorry, North,” he stated, breathing deeply to control his laughter. “Won’t happen again.”

North seethed for a moment before she nodded at Hank. “That’s Hank. He’s a recruiter. He does other shit, too. Say hi.”

There was a chorus of half-hearted hi’s from around the room. Hank waved a tail at everyone. Then he turned to Con’r. “Hi,” he said, eyes twinkling with mirth.

Con’r snorted. “Hi.”

The meeting continued more or less as Con’r figured they normally did—with people asking inane questions and North becoming more and more irritated. A few people left as time passed. Con’r could only silently congratulate them on making the right choice. Eventually, only a handful of people remained.

“Okay, we’re fucking done,” North announced. “If you’re actually interested in joining, let me know. Otherwise, leave and don’t come back. Seriously. Don’t. I don’t like repeat faces. Makes me suspicious.”

After threatening them all to her satisfaction, North stared everyone down. The remaining people huddled together in small groups, seemingly taking some time to discuss their next move. Con’r didn’t need to do that. He had his orders. The mission was clear. To infiltrate Jericho, he’d need to actually join Jericho.

He stood up and walked over to North. “Hi, I’m Con’r,” he began. “I’m ready for the next step.”

North raised an eyebrow. “Are you now?” She casually shrugged. “Guess that’s good since Markus’ been itching for a Viniluth.” She jerked her head in the direction of a side door that Con’r had assumed was a small stockroom. “Go on, through there.”

Not needing further instructions, Con’r walked directly to the room. He opened the door and stepped in, watching Hank give him a thumbs up as he closed the door for whatever amounted to privacy here.

The room was very small. It held one chair in the center with one of the smallest holographic viewing screens Con’r had ever seen in his life, right alongside a very simplistic control console. Jerrys would be appalled if they could see this, but Con’r supposed it was the best the people on this moon could do.

Already familiar with this extremely basic technology, Con’r tapped on the button to signal opening communication to whoever was on the other end. The hologram blipped to life instantaneously, connecting Con’r to someone in an unknown location. That was fine. He had anticipated some level of secrecy surrounding Jericho.

The man who appeared in the holograph was a Jinth. That was surprising. Con’r had been told the Jinth had scattered to the edges of the known universe after Jin was destroyed. The Jinth were a race of gaseous people, made up of various types of non-solid substances whose bodies endlessly shifted around, making them near impossible to attack or capture. That had been the main reason Cyberlife had obliterated Jin. The Jinth couldn’t be controlled.

“So North likes you?” the man asked, his face smoking in and out in shades of brown, blue, and green.

“No.” Con’r snorted. “Does she like _anybody_?”

The man smiled, the smoke that made up his face constantly reforming to show each individual facial expression. “Fair. Who are you?”

“Con’r,” he replied. “I just got out of a meeting.”

“Nice to meet you, Con’r,” the Jinth replied, pleasant with a powerful undercurrent of focused intent. “I’m Markus. Leader of Jericho.” Con’r’s eyes widened. “And I’ve got a trial mission for you, if you’ll accept.”

“Yes,” Con’r replied, instantly. “Anything.”

Markus’ smiled widened, his face seeming to breathe in and out of existence. “Excellent. North has the details. We’ll talk soon, Con’r.” The hologram blinked out.

Con’r stared at the wall. Could it really be _that_ easy?

~*~

_**Known Species Report:** Viniluth_

_**Planet of Origin:** Vinil, Kratlit System_  
_**Physical Description:** Humanoid; translucent skin; blue blood; four arms; two legs; pointed ears_  
_**Strengths:** Invisibility_  
_**Weaknesses:** Rarity makes blending in while visible difficult_

_The Viniluth are one of the galaxy’s best species for staying hidden. They were natural predators who lived symbiotically and harmoniously alongside other lifeforms on their homeworld. Most of their history has been lost, most likely due to the lack of intelligent writing and recording capabilities that E-lij-ah lamented upon informing me of this race._

_Eventually, Vinil became a planet of technological wonders. It appears as though some agreement took place because the Viniluth are now all working for Cyberlife. How fortunate that we have one of the most stealthy species in existence, who also are mechanically-minded, on our side! I guess E-lij-ah really does know what’s best!_

_**Report Completed By:** Jerry \\_[^o^]_/_

~*~

Of course not. The mission was to damage Cyberlife’s mining operations on the moon. Or, as North put it, to ‘fuck them up so bad they’ll regret ever coming here, those fucking fucks’. Con’r had already been given full permission to do whatever was necessary to bring down Jericho. He knew he’d have to file a report later, but that was fine. He’d been filing reports his whole life, felt like. No sense complaining now.

The major issue with the Jericho mission was that he didn’t actually have a singular goal. It was given to him as a task to see how he’d perform. Con’r suspected they wanted to know just how capable he was if left alone. That checked out with what he knew of Jericho. As a terrorist organization that specialized in small teams who did high-damage hits on valuable targets, Jericho needed skilled people who could think on their feet and make sudden changes to the plan in order to compensate for whatever came up during their attacks. With his intimate knowledge of the operations in this sector, Con’r could quite easily make himself appear indispensible.

Hank was going along with him, which didn’t exactly fit with the image of a charismatic bartender whose job was to bring in new recruits. He didn’t mind, though. Hank was a friendly guy, easy to get along with, easier to flirt with if he was being fully honest, and it was obvious staying on the man’s good side was vital to winning Jericho’s trust.

They drove over to the mineshaft right after the meeting. Night had already fallen, and Hank seemed eager to leave. Con’r simply went along with it.

“This hovercar is falling apart,” he muttered as Hank parked next to the entrance. “I’m surprised we made it.”

Hank snorted. “You should be more concerned about if it’s going to last long enough to get us back.”

Con’r’s eyes widened. “Is that an actual concern?”

Hank just grinned at him. “Come on,” he said, swinging himself off the hovercar with his tails. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Fine, then. Hank wanted a show? Jericho wanted to test him? Cyberlife wanted him in Jericho? Con’r was going to give everyone what they wanted. He had trained for this. He was ready.

Hank and Con’r walked up to the door, not wasting any time. Con’r glanced at it, immediately recognizing the locking mechanism. “It’s an encrypted lock,” he said, already knowing the password. “I’ll have to bypass it.”

“How?” Hank’s eyes narrowed. “Cyberlife is known to be unhackable.”

“Are they?” Con’r gave Hank an amused glance. “Why don’t you tell that to all the people who keep finding ways to hack in?”

“You think it’s that easy?”

“No. I think Cyberlife doesn’t care all that much about a mining operation at the far end of Diponti.” They did, actually. But Con’r couldn’t reveal that information without giving himself away.

Hank nodded. “Fair.” He waved a hand towards the lock. “Well? We don’t have all night.”

Con’r reached out, putting a hand on the side of the locking machine. He briefly concentrated, calling up a sharp electrical current that sizzled out from the edge of his fingertips down into the wires inside the mechanism.

Hank jumped back, eyes widening as his tails pushed him to a safe distance away from the instinctive danger.

Con’r looked back at him over his shoulders. “Shocked?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Oh, very funny, Con,” Hank grumbled, shaking his head. He walked back over, quickly asking, “How did you do that? Cool trick, yeah. I didn’t know Viniluths could do that.”

“Not all of us can,” Con’r confirmed. “It’s an ability that got passed down among some bloodlines, but not all.” He pushed the door open, having short-circuited the system enough to bypass the security clearance. “Coming?”

“Yeah,” Hank muttered. “I’m coming.” He followed Con’r into the dark mine, jumping again when Con’r flicked on the lights. “Aren’t we supposed to be keeping a low profile?”

“From who?” Con’r shook his head. “The faster we get in, the faster we get out. And I don’t plan on being stranded out here with a busted hovercar.”

Hank groaned. “That was a joke, Con!”

“Says you,” he replied. “Didn’t sound funny to me.”

They continued walking down the main tunnel. It wasn’t long until Con’r began seeing signs of debris from the recent collapse and restoration efforts. He stopped when the tunnel began to narrow, deciding a bigger message would please Jericho more and that, in reality, the cost to Cyberlife would be worth the overall gain in taking down the largest rebel organization they’d ever had to deal with.

Con’r went to the nearby wall and held all four of his hands to it. He could sense the small amounts of electricity that ran through the area—a combination of the lights that had been installed, the mining equipment that was charging for the next day, and a residual effect from the moon itself, a sort of echo between Leaglus’ gravity, this fifth moon’s orbit and minor fluctuations, and the four other moons circling around them both. Con’r was able to pull from all of that, collecting it into one giant web of small electrical signals. He coalesced the larger form into a smaller, more compact, easily controllable one. With that last part completed, Con’r now had a manageable ball of electric energy at his fingertips.

To any onlookers, including Hank, the only physical sign that Con’r was doing anything at all appeared as a bright blue light that seemed to shine out from his hands. Small lines glowed on his skin—long straight forms that splintered off into smaller lines, which bent and twisted into even smaller ones. Con’r felt the electricity flow around, into, and through him, using those lines as a base point.

This was a skill Con’r was very familiar with. He had a lot of practice with it even before Cyberlife, and the company had only honed his skills even further. It was simple enough to manipulate the energy he had collected. Con’r honed the energy to focus on a single point, closer to the entrance so that everyone could easily see the damage at the beginning of the next work day. Once the ball of electrical force was in place, Con’r slowly let it expand until it was large enough to cover the breadth of the main tunnel.

“Let’s move back,” Con’r said, breathing calmly so he didn’t lose control. He hadn’t in a long time, but it never hurt to be cautious. Especially when he was around other people.

Hank’s eyebrows rose up. “What? Why? You haven’t done anything yet.”

“Hank.” Con’r’s voice was firm, leaving no room for arguments. “Move. Back.”

Grumbling but complying, Hank turned around and walked back to the entrance, which wasn’t that far behind them. “Don’t see why we’re doing a fucking dance,” he muttered unhappily.

Con’r laughed. The comment was so unexpected—Hank had only been kind up to this point, so hearing him complain and curse was unusual. Then again, Con’r didn’t really know the man at all. Maybe Hank was nice to people at the bar because it was his job. Friendly bartenders must receive better tips than grumpy ones.

“What?” Hank asked, voice clipped.

“No, nothing,” Con’r replied. “That’s it, you can stop there.”

Hank’s tails held him up off the ground as he faced Con’r, crossing both his arms and legs in a truly impressive display of pouting. “Fine. Are you gonna do something or not?”

Con’r grinned. “Just watch.”

He backed up from the tunnel and placed all four of his hands on the ground. Then, with one mental push, Con’r’s skin flickered between visible and invisible as his hands glowed a brighter blue. In that instant, he let loose a shockwave with enough magnitude to cause the tunnel to collapse entirely. The ground began to shake as the ceiling fell in bits and pieces around them.

“Come on,” Con’r said, standing up and grabbing Hank by his elbow.

Hank just stood there, staring. “What… ? How did you—”

“Let’s _go_,” Con’r said, now wrapping two hands around Hank’s biceps and pulling him to the entrance.

Hank gracefully pushed himself forward with his tails, landing on his feet as he ran alongside Con’r, realizing they didn’t have much time before the entire tunnel fell on them, burying them in the mineshift. Already they both had dirt covering their clothes and skin, and it was only getting more intense as the seconds ticked by.

Of course, Con’r had timed it so that they would be safe even with a bit of hesitation on Hank’s part. He wasn’t a novice. After they ran out, they were able to stand and stare at the falling dirt and rocks. Con’r felt satisfied. He had done as everyone asked of him. There would be no second-guessing his usefulness to the rebellion now.

Hank, however, had become difficult to read. Con’r stared at him, wondering what he was thinking. The man had been such an open book up to this point. Had he not expected Con’r to succeed? Had he thought he’d be returning to North empty-handed? Well, then Con’r was more than happy to prove him wrong.

“Two collapses this close together?” Hank whistled out a long, slow breath. “Fuck, Cyberlife will _have_ to shut this down. For a while, anyway.”

Con’r grinned at him, not caring about the dirt covering his face and clothes. “That’s the idea.”

Hank blinked at him. “Yeah,” he said, in disbelief. “It is.”

Con’r began walking back to the hovercar, knowing they still had to report back and wait to see what the result would be of his initiation. He didn’t have a single doubt in his mind, but he still couldn’t afford to mess it up. He had come this far. Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to relax a bit, right? To show Hank he could handle the pressure of missions?

Deciding to do just that, Con’r got in and smiled at Hank, feeling incredibly self-satisfied. “So?” he asked. “Am I in?”

Hank’s tails programmed the hovercar to drive them back to Tanytucker as the man himself eyed Con’r speculatively. “What’s your deal, Con’r?” he asked, shaking his head.

“What do you mean?” Con’r asked, wondering if he had somehow given himself away.

“I mean if you can do shit like _that_, then why haven’t you been fucking with Cyberlife up ‘til now?” Hank crossed his arms over his chest, staring Con’r down. “I _want_ to trust you, but I don’t fucking get it.”

Con’r took a deep breath. This was important. He had to sell this—had to make it believable. “I’ve wanted to,” he said, earnestly. “For years, Hank. But I never thought I could manage anything significant by myself.” He shrugged, spreading all four hands out. “Bringing down a tunnel at night with no one around, no security cameras, and no major Cyberlife presence? That’s easy. But anything more substantial?” Con’r shook his head. “I need a team for that. People I can trust. I think you know that.” He let his arms fall. “One person can only do so much working alone. With Jericho’s help, I can do so much more.”

Hank was quiet for a few moments, at first inspecting Con’r but then letting his eyes trail out the window. “Yeah,” he eventually replied. “I guess you can.”

Con’r leaned back in his chair, hoping what he had said was enough.

~*~

_**Damage Report:**_

_**Type of Damage:** Mine Collapse_  
_**Department:** Mining and Material Collections_  
_**Casualties:** None_  
_**Equipment Loss:** All mining equipment in Leaglus M5_  
_**Repairs Needed/Scheduled:** Yes; TBD_  
_**Galactic Location:** Fifth Moon on the Dark Side of Leaglus, Diponti System_  
_**Planetside Location:** Second Major Continent, Largest Population Density, Bottom of the Slisid Canyon, Cyberlife Mine System Leaglus M5_

__

_In order to infiltrate the terrorist organization ‘Jericho’, I underwent an initiation process which required me to destroy the Leaglus M5 mining operation. I used my innate electrical powers to create a shockwave that mimicked an earthquake, causing the entire tunnel system to collapse. I believe this has earned me access to Jericho’s inner circle, but I have to wait further instructions from the organization’s leadership._

_I believe repairs may be possible, but my recommendation is to wait until Jericho is properly satisfied with the damage. The people on Leaglus have major complaints against Cyberlife and, though not all belong to Jericho, many are sympathizers with the rebellion. If Cyberlife waits until people are calmer, the reconstruction process might be undertaken with more ease. It is my hope that these people will see how difficult life without Cyberlife is, thus welcoming the help that Cyberlife offers after struggling fruitlessly by themselves._

_**Report Completed By:** Con’r Ar’kay, C.A. 800 division_

~*~ 

Apparently it was, which Con’r discovered as the hovercar Hank had programmed drove right by the Tanytucker and continued to go farther into the Slisid Canyon. Con’r had planned on keeping quiet, figuring that silence was least likely to cause any suspicion, but now the mission was changing. If he was going to a new location, he needed to know where and what it was. 

“We’re not going back to the Tanytucker?” Con’r asked, keeping a lightly curious tone in his voice. 

Hank raised an eyebrow at him. “You want another drink?” he asked, amused. 

“No,” Con’r replied, smiling despite himself. “But I’m also not in the habit of letting strange men take me to unknown locations in the middle of the night.” 

Hank burst out laughing, his loud guffaws echoing in the small space inside the hovercar. “Am I a strange man?” 

“Yes,” Con’r stated with complete conviction. “You are a _very_ strange man, Hank.” 

Hank laughed even louder. He opened his mouth to reply, but couldn’t seem to stop his laughter. He ended up simply waving a tail in front of his face, possibly indicating Con’r should just ignore him. 

The need to explain himself drove Con’r to say, “Well, I don’t really know you all that well. We only just met tonight.” 

“We broke the law together,” Hank said, sighing as he wiped a few tears from his eyes with his tail. “Doesn’t that count for something?” 

“Sure,” Con’r agreed. “Now we have blackmail on each other.” 

Hank snorted. “You’re one tough fucking cookie, Con.” 

Con’r narrowed his eyes, crossing his four arms to show his displeasure. “And you’re not answering my question.” 

Hank relaxed back into his seat, letting his tails drift casually to the ground. “Technically you didn’t ask it—” Con’r’s eyes narrowed further at that which caused Hank to quickly continue, “—but I’ll answer anyway. Fuck, careful with that stare. We’re going to Jericho’s base.” 

Con’r sat up straight, his arms falling to his sides in a sudden panic. “What?! Jericho’s base of operations?!” 

"Whoa there, calm down.” Hank shrugged easily, seemingly unconcerned with the topic of conversation. “It’s just a place for members to go on this moon. It’s not the _actual_ base. A hideout, if you will. Someplace to go when we need it, that’s all.” 

“Oh,” Con’r stated, feeling foolish. Of course Jericho’s headquarters wouldn’t be all the way out in the Diponti System. It was the middle of nowhere. Even in terms of how vast and empty space was, which was saying something. 

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Hank said with a smile. “You’ll see for yourself soon enough. We’re almost there.” 

True enough, in just a few minutes the hovercar pulled over to park in a small junkyard filled with other vehicles that also looked mostly broken down. Con’r got out as soon as the doors opened, eager to inspect the area. He didn’t actually know what he was looking for, but he suspected something should appear out of place, giving him a clue as to where he was headed. 

Hank walked right by him, pressing a hidden button which caused a piece of metal that looked far too heavy to move to roll five or so feet to the left. Behind it was a door with a passcode lock. Hank stepped in front of it to hide the code. A hiss of air and one mechanical unlock sound later, Hank stepped aside to hold open the door leading into a dark hallway lit by a few spaced-out flickering hololights. 

“After you,” Hank said, using his tail to gesture inside, ushering Con’r along. 

Con’r walked forward and entered without a moment’s hesitation. If he was being honest, not only was he excited to make progress in his mission, but he was also tired. Really freaking tired. He’d been piloting his ship just this morning. Between landing on this moon, hiding his ship, getting to know the local citizens a bit, and sticking his foot in the door with Jericho, it had been an exhausting day. The dual promises of completing his initiation into Jericho and getting horizontal on a bed moved him along faster than he might otherwise have gone down a dark, unfamiliar, hidden tunnel. 

Hank walked right behind him. The door closed automatically, and a loud scraping noise indicated to Con’r that the metal disc which had hidden the entrance had moved back into place. It was a pretty decent way of hiding an entrance to a criminal organization. Con’r immediately thought of how advanced the main base must be if this was just a scraped-together hideout. 

After walking past two curves in the tunnel, it opened rather suddenly into a main room that resembled an old, disused mining area. It was one major open space that seemed to be where members gathered, along with several doors that most likely led to smaller rooms. There were tables with chairs surrounding them, clearly currently being used for smaller discussions. It was reminiscent of the Tanytucker, except without the alcohol, lighting, and loud music. However, far more noticeable were the longer tables that held food rations, clothes, blankets, and weapons. 

A _lot_ of weapons. 

“Sneaky,” Con’r murmured. Hank stepped up next to him, looking at him curiously. “They repurposed abandoned mineshafts for their base and collected stuff from the junkyard. Smart, too.” 

Hank nodded. “Yep. You work with what you got, sometimes.” 

“All the time, more like,” Con’r added. 

Hank’s tail came around Con’r’s back, gently nudging him forward. “Come on,” he said. “We need to talk to North.” 

Con’r moved forward, following along as Hank walked right up to one of the first doors and knocked on it. Several people stared at Con’r, but nobody said anything, which he was grateful for. It was too late to make small talk with these people. In the end, they didn’t actually matter to his mission, so he was more than happy to ignore them and whatever judgment they wanted to pass. 

The door was pulled roughly open as North’s head poked out. “What?” she asked before raising an eyebrow. “You’re back early. What happened? He didn’t do it?” 

“No, he did,” Hank stated. “And he’s right here.” 

“Hi again.” Con’r stepped to the side, into her line of sight. 

North sighed. “I guess we’re doing this,” she muttered. “All right, come on in.” Hank moved to walk forward but North put her hand on his chest, stopping him. “Not you. Go make up a room for him. You’ll just be in the way.” 

Hank rolled his eyes. “Yes, sir,” he said, saluting with his tail before he turned on his heel, winked at Con’r, and walked away. 

North groaned. “Ugh, just come in al-fucking-ready.” She walked back into the room, letting the door nearly close. Con’r caught it with two of his hands, feeling strongly that he was walking into something he was unprepared for. 

The room was mostly bare except for a bed and some clothes piled on top of a bag. North turned to look at him immediately, so Con’r didn’t get a chance to do any further inspection right away. 

“What’s your deal?” North asked him, hostile and direct. “Why are you here?” 

Con’r frowned. “I want to take down Cyberlife, just like—” 

“Bullshit,” North interrupted. “Viniluths work for Cyberlife. Everybody knows that.” 

This, he was prepared for. He had been waiting for this challenge, anticipating it. Con’r licked his lips, showing a bit of nervous tension. “This might shock you,” he began, speaking slowly but with determination, “but not all Viniluths are the same.” 

“Really?” North asked, condescendingly. 

“Yes, really,” Con’r snapped. “No one race is a monolith. You should know that, being an adult and hopefully not incredibly racist.” 

North snorted. “Vinil was taken over by Cyberlife so long ago nobody remembers a time before,” she said, reciting the facts that she was surely taught as a child. “And now you’re going to tell me that, somehow, someway, you just got left behind? What, they missed you or some fucking thing?” 

Con’r shook his head. “No,” he said, calmly. “Cyberlife caused my family…” Con’r trailed off, swallowing thickly. He needed to sell this _hard_. “Great distress,” he said, voice choking off. 

“How?” North was unforgiving. 

“They killed my brother,” Con’r said, tone clipped. “Murdered him in cold blood.” 

“Really?” North asked again, this time disbelieving. 

“What the fuck?” Con’r asked, getting angry now. He absolutely had to make her believe this story was true, and he’d get emotional to do it. “Yes, really, you fucking _bitch_.” 

North laughed harshly. “Oh ho, he’s got teeth.” 

“What, you want some fucking proof?” Con’r growled at her, turning his frustration at this unexpected barrier into a useful emotional tool. His skin flickered a bit, showing his agitation in a very unavoidable way. It was a sign of emotional or mental instability, which Con’r was betting North already knew. “I can’t give it to you. I don’t have any because there isn’t fucking any. Cyberlife doesn’t leave a trail when they don’t want to.” Con’r spread his four hands widely out to his sides. “That’s it, North. That’s what I’ve got. Either you believe me or you don’t, I don’t fucking care either way.” 

Narrowing her eyes, North strode forward, getting right up into Con’r’s space. She jabbed her finger into his chest, her one wing flaring out behind her in an unmistakable show of aggression. “Listen, _Con’r_,” she spat out, “I don’t trust you. That’s what it comes down to. I’ve never known a Viniluth to betray Cyberlife, and I can’t fucking imagine why they would kill one and then keep his family alive and employed. Sounds like bullshit to me.” She stared at him until she took a step back, tilting her head back so she could look down on him. “But you’re in luck because my opinion is just one factor in getting you in. So I’m going to have a chat with Markus. I’ll tell him the bullshit you spewed right in my fucking face, and we’ll see what he thinks.” 

Con’r stood where he was, not willing to give North even the tiniest bit of ground. “Great,” he snapped back, hitting the last consonant hard. “When can I talk to him again?” 

North laughed in his face. “Maybe in the morning, if I can’t convince him otherwise.” She turned on her heel and walked away from him. “You’re bad news. I can feel it. Now get the fuck out of my room.” 

“Gladly.” Con’r walked out, taking some satisfaction in slamming the door behind him. 

This was infuriating. North was a hundred percent right to be suspicious of him, but her excellent intuition might cause Con’r to end up being unable to join Jericho. There was nothing he could do about that for now. Not that he could see, anyway. 

Stewing in the possibility of a failure so early on, and after such a good performance in his initiation, Con’r practically walked directly into Hank, who apparently had been loitering right outside of North’s door. 

“Shit,” Hank said, grabbing Con’r by his upper shoulders to steady them both. “Are you okay, Con?” 

Con’r shrugged off Hank’s hands, but the older man simply held them up in the universal symbol for surrender. “I’m fine,” Con’r said, then sighed and crossed his arms. “Actually, that was a lie. I’m not fine. Not at all.” 

Hank’s mouth thinned. “This about your brother?” 

Con’r’s eyes widened before his shoulders sagged. “You overheard.” 

“Sorry,” Hank stated, only seeming slightly apologetic. “Thin doors.” 

“It’s fine,” Con’r replied, waving a hand in the air between them. “I just…” 

This would be a perfect opportunity to ingratiate himself further with Hank, as well as to hammer down more of the specific points of his story. Con’r had memorized his cover, had read the file front to back as it floated in front of him on the flight over. He knew the care Cyberlife had taken in preparing this background story. They had even invented some breadcrumbs of a trail in case Jericho was absolutely hellbent on determining if he was legit. But the fact remained that Con’r felt strange. 

“What?” Hank asked. The sympathy in his voice only hammered the point home: right now, at this very moment, he simply didn’t want to lie to Hank. That was all. He was too tired, too emotionally drained, and, well, he just didn’t like the idea. It made him uncomfortable. He didn’t need to investigate it any further than that. 

Con’r’s skin flickered again, but this time he hadn’t intended it to. After a few moments of the unplanned show, he felt himself settle back into being totally visible. It only drained him more. “Don’t want to talk about it.” 

Hank’s face softened. “Of course.” He jerked his head back towards the farthest wall. “I got a room set up for you, if you want.” 

Con’r nodded. “Yes, please.” 

His exhaustion must have come through because Hank began walking without another comment. They walked to the far wall and then Hank made a turn into an adjacent tunnel. Con’r followed him down, past a few doors, until Hank stopped suddenly. He gestured with his tail in a sweeping, circular, over-the-top way that had Con’r snorting. 

“Your room awaits,” Hank joked, pushing open the door with his other tail. Con’r took a quick peek inside, confirming his assumption that each room was very similar—a bed, some extra clothes, and not much else. “It’s sparse,” Hank admitted, “but it’s better than nothing.” 

“No, this is great,” Con’r said, walking in and sitting on the bed. “Thank you.” 

“Yep.” Hank stood there awkwardly for a handful of breaths before he jerked his thumb back to the main room. “I’m gonna head back. I need to talk to Markus, too.” 

Con’r stared at Hank briefly. “What are you going to say?” 

“That you’re a good guy,” Hank replied. “We can trust you.” 

Con’r looked down at the floor by his feet. “Thank you,” he said, uncomfortable and trying his hardest to push it down. “That means a lot.” 

Hank gently pressed a fist into the doorframe. “’S nothin’,” he mumbled. “Get some sleep, Con.” Hank left the room, closing the door firmly. Con’r heard his footfalls as he walked away, but eventually he was left alone with his thoughts. 

He stripped off his shirt and pants, leaving on his underwear and laying back in the makeshift bed. This was his mission. Lying was always going to be a part of it. Just because he liked Hank—well, it didn’t matter, did it? It didn’t change anything. He could think of Hank as a friend, but if the Barog knew his actual intentions, Hank would turn on him in an instant. 

Con’r sighed, closing his eyes. His mind swirled before sleep, as always, quickly analyzing the day and attempting to determine what would happen tomorrow. But this time, for the first time in a while, he felt that everything was left up to chance. North hated him, and he had no idea how much influence she had over Markus. This might be over before it even began. 

He turned over, trying to get comfortable. It was stupid to think about Hank. Really, it was. The man had told him flat out that he was unavailable. Con’r needed to get his head out of his pants and into his mission. What did it matter that Hank was funny, charming, kind, and more handsome than anyone Con’r had ever seen? It _didn’t_ matter. Not really. 

He kept telling himself that, over and over, until, eventually, his mind wandered to other things—dreams he had no control of, things both real and imagined, truth and lies mixed together until they created something else entirely. Con’r would only half-remember them upon waking. A few moments after he blinked his eyes open, they would be gone. 

~*~ 

_**Criminal Agent Report:** Hank [UNKNOWN]_

_**Species:** Barog_  
_**Species Description:** Humanoid; pale/light brown skin; two prehensile tails with tufts of fur at the ends; pointed ears with tufts of fur at the ends_  
_**Species Traits:** Strong; agile in forests; prehensile tails_  
_**Birth Location:** UNKNOWN [Possibly Baro, Fehlude System]_  
_**Birth Date (CGT):** UNKNOWN_  
_**Physical Description:** White/silver hair; blue eyes; very tall; overweight; thick tails; older_  
_**Relatives:** UNKNOWN_  
_**Training:** UNKNOWN_  
_**Affiliations:** Jericho; Tanytucker Bar [Fifth moon, Leaglus, Diponti System]_

_Hank (no known last name) is confirmed to be an agent of Jericho. He is a man who appears friendly at first. I believe he might put up a front for patrons of the Tanytucker Bar. Jericho uses him to gather new members. His position as a bartender makes him the perfect candidate for this. It is unknown if Jericho assigned him this job or if they recruited him due to his employment._

_I have had several interactions with Hank at this point, and I believe him to be an honest man. He says what he thinks without manipulation or derailment. This makes him a perfect candidate to assist in my main objective of infiltrating Jericho._

_Although Hank accompanied me to my initiation, he did not show any notable talents that Jericho might use. As a Barog, he switches between use of his hands and tails without pause. Still, it does not logically follow that this alone is his only skill. I suspect he has other purposes for aligning himself with the terrorist organization. Jericho has most likely put him to other uses besides recruiter. As our working relationship progresses, I expect to see more of what he can do._

_**Report Completed By:** Con’r Ar’kay, C.A. 800 division_

~*~ 

A knock on his door had Con’r moaning as he sat up. His back was killing him. Jericho apparently didn’t think much of avoiding future medical care. Con’r slid to his feet and pulled on his clothes from yesterday, unsatisfied with the situation but realizing this was what he was going to have to get used to. At least, on this moon, it was. 

He walked to the door and opened it, revealing Hank holding two cups of something to drink. Con’r eyed it suspiciously. “What is this?” 

Hank shook his head. “Fuck, you don’t let up, do you?” He pushed one cup towards Con’r. “It’s a Leaglus brew. It has caffeine and a flavor that isn’t too bad. What more could you ask for in the morning?” 

Con’r took the cup, hesitantly taking a sip. “A lot,” he replied, sticking his tongue out. 

Smirking, Hank jerked his head out towards the main room. “North wants to see you. So drink your caffeine and let’s go.” 

“You should’ve led with that,” Con’r said as he gently put a hand on Hank’s chest and pushed him back into the hallway, making room for Con’r to get through the doorway. He kept walking, not wanting to waste any time. He needed to know what was going to happen, either way. 

Hank followed along behind him until they reached North’s door. He used a tail to knock quite loudly. Con’r raised an eyebrow as he took another drink. Hank shrugged at him. 

The door opened wide. “Come on, let’s get this over with.” North used her foot to hold it open as she gestured for them to go in. 

Con’r entered the room once more, again feeling like he wasn’t really wanted there. The way North was glaring at him made him absolutely certain she was angry. 

“So?” Hank asked. “Are you gonna tell him or am I?” 

North groaned, shaking her wing out once, harshly, before pulling it back in. “You’re in,” she said, not even looking at Con’r. “In other news, nobody listens to me about anything ever.” 

Con’r’s shoulders moved back as he stood up straighter, proud and showing it. “Markus said yes,” he guessed. 

“Didn’t I just say that?” North asked, rolling her eyes. “Fuck, nobody _ever_ listens.” 

Hank laid a warm, heavy hand on Con’r’s shoulder, squeezing him in support. “You were outstanding in the mines,” he stated. “And I might have put in a good word or two.” 

“Or forty minute’s worth,” North interrupted. 

A dusky blush came up suddenly over Hank’s cheeks and ears. “Would you shut the fuck up. Please.” 

North snorted. “What you need to know, Con’r, is that Markus has a mission for you.” 

Now that was a surprise. “Already?” He turned to look at Hank, who nodded at him. 

“Markus has been waiting a while for someone with your skillset,” North bit out, clearly not liking that fact. “I think he might have been a bit too quick to induct you, but I guess when you can turn invisible and shoot electricity out of your hands, people want you on their side.” 

Con’r smiled at her, not at all friendly. “At least we’ll never have to see each other again.” 

North narrowed her eyes. “If fucking only,” she snapped. “Hank and I are coming with you.” 

“Why not just Hank?” Con’r asked, honestly confused. “I thought you ran operations on this moon?” 

“Nope,” North said. “I go where I’m needed, just like big ol’ Hank here. Two peas in an ever-moving pod.” 

Con’r looked back at Hank, who was smiling at North fondly. “Yep,” he said. “Nobody likes us so they send us everywhere else.” 

“Oh, she’s why you’re unavailable,” Con’r said without thinking. 

Hank blinked at him. “Huh?” 

Con’r gestured two of his hands and Hank and the other two at North, then brought them together in the middle. “You two are together.” 

North burst out laughing as Hank’s blush, which had receded almost entirely, now filled up his whole face. 

“What!” Hank exclaimed, horrified. “No!” 

North fell on the floor laughing, her wing spasming behind her in an uncontrollable fit of glee. 

Con’r looked between them, more confused than before. He looked at Hank, feeling full of unanswered questions. “You said you were unavailable.” 

“I—“ Hank cut himself off. “Yes, I guess I did. Say that.” 

North pounded her fist on the floor a few times. Con’r ignored whatever that was all about. 

“So, who are you dating?” Con’r asked. North began wheezing on the floor. Con’r briefly looked down at her to ensure she wasn’t actually dying. 

“I didn’t say I was dating anyone, Con,” Hank replied, looking uncomfortable. 

“Sorry, married?” Con’r tried, still wanting to get as much information on Hank as possible for many reasons. One of those might have been pure personal interest, but he didn’t have to write that down on his Cyberlife report, now did he? 

Hank waved his tails out in front of him. “No, no, no, no, no,” he quickly said. “I’m not married.” Then he paused. “I mean. I _was_. But not anymore.” 

Con’r frowned slightly. “I’m sorry to hear that.” 

Hank nodded, a small smile showing through his beard and his blush. “Thanks. Me too.” 

North shook her head as she pushed herself to her feet, lithely springing up with the agility the Elgatea were known for. “That was fun,” she said, wiping away tears from her eyes as she caught her breath. “And ridiculous. But we need to leave now.” 

“What, _now_?” Con’r repeated, eyes wide. “Why the rush?” 

“Like I said, Markus has been waiting for someone like you to come along,” North repeated. “And it’s not because he’s dying to get to know you.” 

“There’s a mission,” Hank began to explain. “On Olifree.” 

Con’r’s eyes widened even further. “The Lawless Planet?” 

North grabbed her bag, nodding. “That’s the one.” She paused. “Stupid nickname, though.” 

“What else do you expect people to call it?” Con’r asked, his annoyance with North’s attitude coming back and hitting him freshly. “The universe-renowned den of criminal activity, iniquity, and deception that nobody in their right mind travels anywhere near?” 

North made a considering noise. “That’s actually quite the catch-phrase.” 

Hank sighed. “It’s an important mission, Con. We can’t give you any details until we’re closer.” 

Well, that didn’t seem right. “Why not?” 

“Because we don’t know you,” North said. “I don’t trust you. And I certainly don’t want to risk an important mission by blabbing to anyone who asks about it.” 

Hank jerked his thumb to the door. “My bag’s on a table, so I’m ready to go.” He looked at Con’r. “Do you need to get anything?” 

Con’r paused. He had some belongings in his ship, but at this point, he’d have to send the coordinates to a Cyberlife collection team. It wasn’t a big deal. He would miss the changes of clothes, though. 

“I’m good to go,” Con’r said. “The faster we leave, the faster I get to know what exactly it is I’m supposed to do.” 

“Excellent. We’re all ready. So let’s quit fucking around and go.” North shrugged her bag over her shoulder and walked directly between them, not caring that she banged into both men on her way out the door. 

Hank looked at Con’r and laughed quietly. “This is going to be some trip.” He shook his head as he went back to the main room, picked up a bag from a table, and followed North up to the entrance. 

Con’r took one last look around as he left, trying his best to memorize the people he saw and the supplies they had. Fact was, the people mostly looked like locals who were stuck on this moon. He didn’t think they’d be leaving anytime soon. As for supplies, well, it was minimal pickings. Even the large amount of scavenged weapons were just that—scavenged. It was likely they wouldn’t be viable for any long-term or large-scale attack. 

Knowing all of this put Con’r at ease. He could leave this moon behind, confident Jericho’s operations here were not a threat to Cyberlife. But as Con’r followed them out to an unknown ship heading towards an unknown destination, one question stuck in his mind. Why _had_ Hank said he was unavailable, if he wasn’t dating anyone and he wasn’t currently married? There was something going on with the Barog. It might be nothing, but it might interfere with his mission in a major way. Con’r was going to get to the bottom of the mystery that was Hank. He wanted to in a deeply personal, incredibly unexpected way because the man made him feel good like nobody ever had before. But also beyond that, he had to. 

Cyberlife wouldn’t accept anything less than perfection. 

~*~ 

_**Post-Mission Report:**_

_**Objective:** Join Jericho_  
_**Assessment:** Objective complete; access to hideout gained; assigned mission; working with team_  
_**Galactic Location:** Fifth Moon on the Dark Side of Leaglus, Diponti System_  
_**Planetside Location:** Second Major Continent, Largest Population Density, Bottom of the Slisid Canyon, Jericho Base - Minor_  
_**Ship Location:** 1.2 kt from Tanytucker Bar [ABANDONED – Flagged for Cyberlife Collections]_  
_**Local Time:** Fifteenth Planet Rotation (in relation to fifth moon), Nearest Sunlight measurement 4% to full darkness_  
_**Cyberlife Galactic Time:** 187th Year, Third Month, Fifth Day, 38% to full sunlight_

_The Barog criminal agent Hank is the perfect way to infiltrate Jericho. His trustworthy nature means he does not suspect or anticipate manipulation from outside sources. Jericho runs on the misdirected anger of individuals who have lived through unfortunate circumstances. As long as I maintain my ability to empathize with their members and behave according to what they expect, Jericho will continue to open their doors to me. I believe I will be welcomed further in to their plans after I prove myself on a successful mission._

_We are headed to Olifree for a top-secret operation. I have no details about what I will be expected to do. Jericho Leader Markus has told others that he had been waiting for someone with my abilities to undertake this mission. My hope is that I will be able to accomplish this task with ease, thus allowing me to get to know more Jericho agents. Understanding their reasoning behind joining is one of the most vital parts of my mission. Without knowing why this organization has become so popular, it will be much more challenging to stop it._

_**Report Completed By:** Con’r Ar’kay, C.A. 800 division_

~*~ 

_**Interim: Cyberlife i: Chloee**_

E-lij-ah Ka-msk-i was a dictator. Of sorts. He had access to everything he could ever want. He controlled people. He controlled _planets_. He had money enough to cover extravagant living expenses for thousands of lifetimes. He made laws without any oversight. He was, in all senses, a one-man galactic government. 

But that was just what he appeared to be on the surface. Chloee knew the truth—that Cyberlife was a charade. E-lij-ah’s power was only available to him because he had access to the most advanced lifeform anyone had ever discovered: Jerry. 

The Jerrys had an unknown origin and history, but Chloee knew that E-lij-ah had somehow convinced them to help him. Then he had trapped them. She wasn’t entirely sure how or why, but it didn’t matter. E-lij-ah was able to use them to attain his goals, and nobody in the universe was powerful enough to stop him. 

“Chloee.” Jerry’s voice cut through her thoughts. “You seem troubled.” 

She looked over her too-large desk, spanning one entire wall right outside of E-lij-ah’s office. The room, like most of Cyberlife Central, was completely white—only the ever-present silver and neon blue electric lines travelling along the floor, ceiling, and walls. Several holographic screens were up in front of Chloee, showing various footage from different planets in the nearby solar system, Ka-msk-i. E-lij-ah had renamed it. After himself. 

Chloee spun slowly around in her floating chair, trying to seem idle as she pondered her response. She couldn’t say too much to Jerry. They didn’t even understand they were imprisoned. And it wouldn’t do for her to incite E-lij-ah’s wrath. Anything she said or did had to be carefully chosen. All risks had to be weighed. She had her own goals to achieve, after all, and they weren’t making sure E-lij-ah fucking Ka-msk-i was comfortable on his throne. 

“I’m okay, Jerry,” Chloee eventually replied. “Just a bit bored, that’s all.” 

The electric lines around the room pulsed as Jerry processed a trillion things happening simultaneously. They were always busy, representing Cyberlife on hundreds of planets and keeping order by following the rules E-lij-ah had set in place. Jerry was everywhere and nowhere—watching and analyzing everything while having no physical body of their own. They were incredibly kind and thoughtful, believing they were helping everyone by enforcing Cyberlife’s rules. Chloee was used to speaking with them all day, every day, even sometimes when she really wanted to be left alone. 

But that was life at Cyberlife Central. Maybe there was more privacy on other planets. Not here. Not right under E-lij-ah’s thumb. 

“Why are you bored?” Jerry asked, always curious, always learning more. “Is there not enough work to keep you occupied?” 

Chloee had long ago gotten used to their voice seeming to emanate directly from the wires on the walls, so she had given up attempting to look at them when they spoke. She simply sighed and keep spinning slowly in her chair as she stated, “There’s plenty of work, Jer. It’s just not the kind of work I want to be doing.” 

“What kind of work would you like to be doing?” Jerry asked, his light, pleasant voice perking up as he attempted to be helpful. “There are several work details that need filling. Would you like to be reassigned?” 

A cold chill ran down her spine and long, thick tail. She laughed a little, making light of the comment. “You’re such a kidder, Jer! You know E-lij-ah wants me specifically to be his personal assistant. And, anyway, the office is nice, the pay is good, and I get to live a comfortable life. Sometimes I just want to, you know, stretch my tail a bit and go for a slide, but that’s not a complaint. That just happens sometimes.” 

“It does?” Jerry asked, confused. “That has never happened to me.” 

“Well, no,” Chloee replied. “But Jerry, you don’t have a body. It’s a physical body thing.” She waved her hand in the air. “Trust me on this. Sometimes you just want to move around, not sit at a desk all day.” 

“I see.” Jerry was quiet, maybe thinking over what she said, maybe locking someone in prison a billion light-years away. Who knew? “If that’s the case, why don’t you move around right now? You have some time.” 

Chloee sighed again. She had done this to herself, hadn’t she? “Yeah,” she replied, trying to seem enthused. “Great idea, Jerry.” 

She slid off her chair, coiling her tail as she landed on the ground. Then she slowly uncoiled as she moved forward, accepting that she would have to do a few laps of the waiting room in order to satisfy Jerry, so that they wouldn’t alert E-lij-ah to any type of problem. 

Well, a lot of people were doing much worse things to keep E-lij-ah happy. Chloee could slither around for a while. She was used to it. 

~*~ 

_**Interim: Cyberlife i: 60**_

_Status Report:_  
_Self: acquire new mission_

60 reported to Ka-msk-i as ordered in hopes of obtaining a new assignment. He and Allen worked well together. They understood each other and were able to flawlessly execute mission objectives. 60 had worked with other, less efficient people before. He much preferred Allen. 

Ka-msk-i greeted them in his typical fashion. 60 waited, folding his four arms behind his back. 60 didn’t care too much for the exchange of oddities and pleasantries. He ignored the conversation until it became relevant, after two minutes and eighty-four seconds. 

“You have a new mission,” Ka-msk-i said. “I need you to go to Olifree.” 

60 noticed that Allen’s face bore a displeased expression. 

Ka-msk-i continued, “There is a woman there who is planning on delivering sensitive information to Jericho. You need to find her and collect the information. Neutralize her if necessary.” 

Allen’s face became further conflicted before he appeared blank as usual. 60 felt his shoulders twitch—a small but visible gesture that he could not identify the source of. 

“Are we really the right team for this mission?” 60 asked, sensing an opportunity to alleviate the source of Allen’s discomfort. 

Ka-msk-i’s eyebrows rose. “What do you mean, 60?” 

60 looked towards Allen, whose jaw was clenched shut. “We are usually sent on missions that involve more immediate, time-sensitive threats,” 60 replied. “Is there a better team more suitable for find-and-retrieve operations?” 

Allen spoke up. “We can do the mission as ordered, Ka-msk-i.” 

“You sure?” Ka-msk-i smirked, tilting his head at 60. “Your partner doesn’t seem convinced.” 

“We’ll get the job done,” Allen replied, voice tight. “You can count on us.” 

“I look forward to another successful mission,” Ka-msk-i stated. He waved his hand, indicating he was done speaking to them. 

_Status updated_  
_Self: leave Ka-msk-i’s office_

60 turned to face the door and exited the room. He was pleased they had been given a new mission but did not understand why Allen seemed unhappy. He needed to rectify that so they could continue working well together. 

_Status updated_  
_Self: speak to Allen, determine cause of distress_

As soon as they were both past Chloee and walking back down the very long hallway to get to Ka-msk-i’s office, 60 decided to ask, “Are you feeling well?” 

Allen glared at him. “I’d be feeling much better if you didn’t talk back to Ka-msk-i like that.” 

60 processed this. “I didn’t speak negatively,” he explained, hoping to eliminate any confusion. “I merely asked for a possible reassignment.” 

“You don’t get it,” Allen said, angry and tense. “We’re valuable to Ka-msk-i as long as we’re useful. We do our jobs. That’s whatever he wants it to be. You start talking back like that, you have no idea how bad it can get.” 

“You seemed unhappy with our assignment,” 60 countered. “I thought it appropriate to—” 

“I don’t care what you thought was appropriate,” Allen said coldly. “You don’t interrupt Ka-msk-i. You don’t talk back to Ka-msk-i.” 

_Cause of distress: Self_  
**3RRoR**

“I see,” 60 replied. 

“You don’t,” Allen said. “You have no idea what he will do to you. What he’s already—” Allen cut himself off. “He’s hurt a lot of people,” he said, incredibly tense. “You need to be careful.” 

**3rR0R**  
**Err0R**  
**cr1t1c4L SYst3m f4ilUR3**

Although 60 did not fully understand the source of Allen’s concern, he made a note of it. “I will make an effort to control myself more fully.” 

“Speaking of, what was that in there?” Allen pointed at 60’s shoulders. “You spasmed.” 

**inquiry: system identification**  
**identification: personality system**

60 stood up straighter. “I did not. It was a small movement, nothing more.” 

“I noticed. You can bet Ka-msk-i noticed.” Allen paused. “Why did you do that?” 

_Self: ease distress_  
**eRR0r**

“It doesn’t matter. I had a temporary lapse. That was all.” 60 felt himself becoming more frustrated by this line of questioning as time passed. 

“I’ve never seen you do that before,” Allen continued. “Are you malfunctioning? We can run a diagnostic on your cyber-components if we need to.” 

**3rr0r d3teCT3d**  
**command: analyze**  
**analyzation complete**

“I am fine,” he said, attempting both to put Allen at ease and put an end to this conversation. “It was just a small glitch. Nothing to be concerned about.” 

Allen’s mouth set in a tight, thin line. “I’ll decide what’s concerning when we’re in front of Ka-msk-i.” 

**system diagnosis: nonessential components misfiring**  
**confirmed: no major system functionality issues**  
**result: no action required**  
**eRR0r**

“Yes,” 60 replied. “Of course.” 

~*~ 

_**Interim: Cyberlife i: Gavreed**_

Having Ka-msk-i request a meeting was basically the worst fucking thing Gavreed could imagine. The man was a total killjoy and, worse than that, he wanted status reports and updates and other bullshit that Gavreed was just not going to do. It wasn’t like he was trying to be a pain in the ass. It just more or less came naturally to him. And bullshit forms were the farthest thing from his idea of a good time. Cyberlife could send him in to do their dirty work, but they actually couldn’t force him to fill out the mission reports. 

He had 900 do that shit. 

So Gavreed just waved a pincer at Chloee on his way into Ka-msk-i’s office, not bothering with the secretary. He was a Cyberlife fucking agent; he didn’t need to make asinine small talk. 

Ka-msk-i’s office was enormous—way bigger than it had to be, even if the man had an incredibly huge ego _and_ an incredibly tiny dick. Or tentacle. Or some kind of hole. Or whatever the fuck. 

“Gavreed, 900,” Ka-msk-i greeted. It was weird, how nice he sounded. It immediately put Gavreed on edge. “Take a seat.” 

He stomped over to one of the big plush chairs that floated around the office. It took a minute to grab onto it and hoist himself up, tearing straight through the fabric with his pincer in the process. Not that he cared. Ka-msk-i had enough money to replace a thousand of these a day. If he wanted a meeting, he could deal with some ripped upholstery. 

“So what’s up?” Gavreed asked, his body slowly sinking back into the supremely cushioned chair. 900 stood next to him, all four hands clasped behind his back like the good little solider he was. Gavreed rolled his eyes. 

Ka-msk-i stood at his window. Well, it was more like a galactic viewing chamber. This thing took up the majority of his wall and was a sweeping view of the scenery right outside his office. Which was space. Gavreed didn’t know how the man could stand it. It was like staring at nothing all the time. That’s what space was—nothing. A whole lot of emptiness. What was appealing about that? 

“I’ve heard troubling reports that your last mission didn’t go as planned,” Ka-msk-i said, turning around so he could face them fully. His signature crooked smile was in place, making him seem amused at something no one else knew. It was really fucking annoying. 

Gavreed’s eyes widened. “What? From who?” His eyebrows quickly furrowed. “It went perfect. Who said that?” 

Ka-msk-i’s smiled never wavered. “I’ve received multiple reports that your plan resulted in the deaths of one hundred and ninety workers.” 

“So?” Gavreed clicked his pincers together, partial nervous tick, mostly a useless show of irritation. “Got the job done, didn’t it? Cleared the way for Con’r.” 

“You most certainly did,” Ka-msk-i agreed. “But I want mining operations to resume at some point. And the loss of so many employees will have a much more dramatic negative impact than I was originally planning.” 

“If I may,” 900 cut in. It was so unexpected that Gavreed could only stare at him, blinking in surprise. The guy never interrupted Ka-msk-i. Ever. “The high casualty rate was due to faulty infrastructure. We placed the bombs at the locations which matched our exact calculations to result in cave-ins that would have a critical impact on the mine while keeping injuries relatively low. However, the old and failing mining equipment and conditions were worse than we had originally been briefed on. If our information had been up-to-date, we would—” 

“Are you trying to blame me for your poor performance?” Ka’msk’i seemed amused, but both Gavreed and 900 knew better. 

Stiffening in his chair, Gavreed said, “Ah, come on, Ka-msk-i, you know 900 doesn’t like getting in trouble. He’s just trying to wiggle out of it.” 

Ka-msk-i was quiet for a few seconds before he sighed. “Well, what’s done is done. Next time, take more care, will you? I absolutely hate to lose so many assets in a single mission.” 

“Understood,” 900 said. Gavreed wondered if he really did. 

“It’s a beautiful place,” Ka-msk-i stated. 

“What, Leaglus?” Gavreed clicked quickly, a mixture of a snort and laughter. “It’s a phcking shithole.” 

“No.” Ka-msk-i briefly gestured to his window. “Space.” 

“Oh.” He stayed quiet. Didn’t need to start another fight today. 

There was about a minute of silence, during which Gavreed looked over at 900, locking eyes with his partner. 900 tended to have a good read on a situation, so when he remained still and quiet, Gavreed decided to do the same. He knew Ka-msk-i had mellowed out over the past few years, but everyone who lived in Cyberlife Central remembered just how bad some of the punishments had been for those who disobeyed, or even slightly pissed off, the fucking overlord in his metal castle. 

“Take the trash on your way out,” Ka-msk-i said, dismissing them. 

Gavreed saluted, his pincer making a sharp clack as he snapped it shut. “Oh, any time,” he stated, voice full of relish at being given an order that he could carry out. Then he let his pincer fall to his side and gave his partner the side-eye. “Let’s go.” 

900 walked to the door, seemingly unmoved by the conversation. He held the door open for Gavreed, who jumped clumsily off the seat and powered through, unable to leave fast enough. 900 closed the door firmly to ensure there was at least one barrier in place between him and Ka-msk-i. 

“That phcker,” Gavreed muttered. “That absolute phcking phck.” 

“You know you can’t pronounce that.” 900 sounded bored. “I don’t know why you try.” 

“It’s an _accent_, you pretentious phck!” Gavreed emitted a flutter of clicking noises, telling 900 off in his native language. Shit, it wasn’t _his_ fault the universal translator didn’t work entirely correctly on certain dialects. Why did everybody have to be so judgey about it all the damn time? 

Sitting on the floor and leaning against the front of Chloee’s desk was a man they’d seen many times before. This familiar Jilokian was covered in bruises, blood heavily dripping down one side of his face. 

“Hey, Ralph,” Gavreed said as he walked over. 

Ralph looked up and took a deep breath. He wiped the blood away from his eye. “Hello, Gavreed. 900. Ralph enjoys seeing you as always.” 

“Don’t bullshit me, Ralph.” Gavreed clanked his pincers together and pointed one towards Ralph. 900 stepped forward and picked up the man. “You’re a damn mess. What the phck happened?” 

Ralph smiled. “Jerry electrocuted me.” 

Jerry’s voice suddenly said, “It was an accident! Ralph, I told you to be careful of the exposed wiring when you removed that plate.” 

“Ralph saw stars,” Ralph said. “Up close, not just from outside.” 

Gavreed rolled his eyes. “Of course you did.” He’d clean the man up as Ka-msk-i requested, but he couldn’t wait to get back out into the field. He was sure there were more jobs that required his specific set of abilities. He couldn’t wait to do them. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! I will edit this chapter to include art by Hobovampire when I receive it. Much love to all!!


End file.
